Smarrito
by Jadeah
Summary: "We hadn't seen him since that." This seemed to hit Ezio like a war hammer to the chest. And for a minute, it seemed like he had just stopped breathing, he shook himself out of the shock and nodded. "Then stay where you are. I'll see if I can find him." "Gazie, but I don't think you will find anything," the thief sighed. "I'll make sure I do," Ezio replied as he walked out.
1. La Scomparsa

_Run! Don't look back! Just run away!_

Although it should be easy for him by now, he found it increasingly difficult to now to add distance between himself and the guards who now wanted his life.

It was all because of this stupid plan... if only he hadn't considered it, maybe he wouldn't need to run.

"AGH!" Pain flashed like fire on his shoulder, and he laid on an extra bit of speed now in desperation. Heart slamming like a drum, he found it amazing how he hadn't collapsed by now. But then again, the adreniline pumping through his body right now made sure of it. He dashed around the corner and found a tunnel entrance just in front of him. _I can hide!_ He realized, and threw the gate of the entrance open before slamming it closed behind him. But without giving himself a chance to slow down, he fell down the steps.

With a sickly crunch, he hit the floor in a crippled heap, tightly grasping his leg before pulling himself up again. He had to get away from the entrance, he had to hide. He couldn't step down on the injuried leg, however, and was forced to hop for what seemed like an hour before his body gave into exhaustion and he fell to the floor again.

Breathing harshly, he eyed a small hole, just large enough for him to crawl through, and in one last desperate attempt, he squirmed in before finding himself in a small room with a low ceiling. But a hole in the floor reveiled a small stream bubbling below. But too weak to even consider getting a drink, he let his head fall into his hands as he gave into exhaustion and pain.

* * *

Ezio was on his way to the Thieves Guild when he noticed something fairly unusual. There seemed to be more guards now than last week. And those smug thieves from the Cento Occhi seemed a little more bold now (if they weren't already), a LOT more than normal. Shrugging it off as the Borgia having themselves another scare, he opened the disguised guild.

Inside, it seemed Volpe's thieves were very much on edge. Normally when he came here, the main room was filled with conversation, the boosting of gambling winners, and the ranting of the losers. But today there was none of it. No one was really doing anything but sitting or pacing with worried looks and stances.

One of the thieves, Aldo, noticed Ezio enter, but returned to staring at the table. He and some others seemed particularly scared or mournful even.

Again, the Master Assassin figured the extra guards and gang rivals were the cause of stress and decided it was best to ask La Volpe about the issue. But no one was in the back room today, and no one came in even after he waited a little bit. By now, Ezio figured the older could have left to go on some assignment. Which would explain his absense. But just to be safe, he walked up to the closest thief and asked, "Do you know where La Volpe is?"

The thief shook his head and sighed. "No. No one does. La Volpe is missing, we fear, and maybe worse."

Volpe missing seemed believable, the man could pull it off easily. But Volpe captured seemed... impossible. Killed seemed more likely but still uncertain. "Can you tell me what happened that could have caused the disappearence?"

"We had planned on fighting with the Cento Occhi last week, but because we know how fair they play, La Volpe thought he should come along as well." The thief said, "We were right about them not playing fair, they even cried to the guards for help when we came. When he knew we would be outnumbered, La Volpe told us to run and that he would distract the guards. We hadn't seen him since that."

This seemed to hit Ezio like a war hammer to the chest. And for a minute, it seemed like he had just stopped breathing, he shook himself out of the shock and nodded. "Then stay where you are. I'll see if I can find him."

"_Gazie_, but I don't think you will find anything," the thief sighed.

"I'll make sure I do," Ezio replied as he walked out.


	2. Search

"And that's all the thieves have told me."

Machiavelli nodded, clearly thinking about this troubling news Ezio brought. "Is there anything else you've found?"

The older shook his head and explained, "I am going out to search now. They had told me that this fight they were going to have was at the Terme di Traiano, so that is where I will start."

Nodding, the philosopher asked, "And what if the worst has happened?"

"Niccolo, I do not want to think these things until the worst is confirmed," he stated, walking up the stairs to the door of the hideout.

Searching the baths didn't seem so difficult until he started. For one thing, it was more heavily guarded there than it was closer to the thieves guild (and that's saying something), and there didn't seem to be anyone just wandering about. It was almost like the guards were trying to keep the public out. Ezio sighed as he decided on which guards to eliminate to get into the restricted area.

However, before he even started to infiltrate the baths, a conversation caught his ear from two civilians sitting in the grass not too far away. Casually taking a seat, he listened in on what one of them was saying.

"You should have seen it, Marco, this man was running with an entire army on his heels, and he was still faster! I never saw anyone go that faster before, especially with all the injuries. He had all sorts of crossbow bolts and gashes on him. It was incredible!"

"Are you sure you aren't exagerating?"

"No, not at all! He was almost invincible!"

"I swear, you love to tell the wildest stories..."

Ezio got up and strolled towards a pair of guards who were guarding one corner. With ease, he drove his hidden blades into their throats, and they collapsed at his feet. To himself, Ezio murmured, "Now, what might they be hiding?"

It was trickier investigating the area when he had to be sure the guards didn't see him, the last thing he wanted was to lose any clues or trails because some guards found him and covered them up. Though, being in close proximity allowed him to hear the gossip. Some backed up the civilian's story on some man running like mad to escape. A few others also gave up the information that this person was currently being searched for, and also led him to discover the crate of freshly printed wanted posters. Now on first glance, a hooded, clean shaven face almost made him think it was himself (because who hasn't noticed how the posters look the same in both games), but it was the lacking of a beak in the hood, and the leaner face revealed it to be one for La Volpe.

"_Mio amico_, what have you gotten yourself into?" Ezio wondered quietly before stashing one of the posters in his pouch and hiding the rest so he could get rid of them later.

Turning from the crate, he caught sight of some splatters of blood on the stone ground. Ezio blinked, his vision darkened, and the guards glowing bright red, but just where the blood stains now glowed white, luminesant figures briefly made a scene. A caped figure was running and was hit in the arm by a crossbow bolt, which came from another glowing phantom at the top of the stairs. The caped figure gripped his wound momentarily, white glowing liquid dripping down to where the actual splatter remained, before continuing to run. When the scene was done, Ezio didn't return to his normal eyesight, and followed in the direction the ghostly figure ran.

He traced this figure all the way to the front of the Colosseum, seeing the many crossbow bolts and throwing knives he took through the prosute. By now, this figure was bleeding a clear trail he could have followed without his gift (but it was interesting watching these scenes). Ay some point, the phantom nearly collapsed, but regained it's footing before darting towards a tunnel entrance.

Ezio momentarily switched back to his normal sight and walked to the entrance, opened the gate, and looked down while returning to his sixth sense. There he watched the figure clearly lose his footing and fall to the bottom of the steps with it's leg in an awkward position before getting back up once more and limping away. The actual blood stained glowed brightly under his gift, and it was covering the stairs. Ezio could smell the iron stench the stains reaked of.

It was some ways of following the stumbling figure that he came to the end of the trail at a small crevas. The last of the figure he saw was him feeblily crawling inside. Ezio returned to his normal vision once more and crouched down in front of the small hole. Through it, he could see a small room, and hear the babbling of a small stream. As well as someone's hand resting just at the other side.

"La Volpe?"

A short grunt was his only responce. The hand slowly gathered into a loose fist. Cursing his bulky armor and size, he reached his arm in and took hold of the hand hoping to get some sort of reaction.

He got one alright, the hand twisted his grip and retched his arm in deeper, to the point where Ezio was in up to his shoulder, then sharp pain came to his hand. It wasn't too hard to reconize the attack as a very strong bite to the point where it broke skin and he felt blood trailing down his palm and staining his sleeve. Quickly, he pulled his hand out and held the bleeding wound. It wasn't too deep, a man's bite is not as dangerous as a dog's.

Still it did hurt. And he needed some way of getting him out of there. So he tried told call his name again. "La Volpe?"

This time he was a little more properly answered by a voice, though was raspy and weak. "Who...?"

"Volpe, it's me, Ezio," he said calmly, or at least trying to mask more of his concern. "Can you come out here?"

"Eh...Ezio...?" He didn't know how to feel about the confusion in that voice. But still, he heard the rustle of fabric and scooched back to provide some space as the occupant of the small room slowly dragged himself out.

It was Volpe alright. Albeit, a very grungy, beaten up, Volpe, but still him. The Master Thief looked almost like he was clobbered by a few horses with all the bruises, gashes, and dirt stains. And his leg was completely mangled and very cruedly splinted with a strip of his cape, which he sacrificed to tend to most of his wounds. What was more surprising and worrying was the crossbow bolts and throwing knives were still inside him, he hadn't even attempted ot pull them out for whatever reason. Now aside from the very brutalized obvious, he saw how sickly pale he was, the exhaustion, the uncertainty and fear. He seemed about as skiddish and antisocial as a feral cat.

"You will be alright," Ezio assured carefully. "I will get you help."

However, he was quick to learn how tricky getting Volpe to move would actually be. He couldn't really touch him whatsoever because if he did then the older would pull away in pain and try to put some distance between them. On the other hand, he didn't think Volpe was in the proper physical condition to walk, or stand for that matter, on his own.

After Volpe pushed away again, Ezio sighed and said, "This will hurt a lot more if you struggle like this, I am trying to help you, and if that means a little pain to save you from a lot more, then_ mi dispiace_."

After he said that, Volpe gave up his fighting and let Ezio pull him to his feet before picking him up. That didn't really stop any sort of moans of pain or sharp hisses of discomfort he made though. At least now Ezio could get him out of the tunnel he had been hiding in, and it was out the way he came. After all, how bad would it be? He needed to see a doctor anyways.

**And there you all go. Ezio found him. I know, I used that thing from Revelations where he was able to see people with Eagle Vision after they already left, but I honestly do think it's totally likely he could when he was forty something anyways.  
As for Volpe, you'll have to wait and see how bad he's gotten (if the fact he resorted to chopping down on Ezio's hand isn't a clue).**

**Don't forget to review guys! I love hearing what you have to say.**


	3. Help

Because he wanted to make sure he got back to the hideout faster, Ezio took the risk of leaving the safety of the tunnels so he could take a horse. He whistled for his horse, and a white mare stopped not too far away. He got La Volpe on and climbed up behind him. With a crack of the reins, the horse was running down the road.

Although, he should have considered the fact that the guards would recognize either one of them. The minute a group of guards recognized La Volpe, they were after them. A couple even tore some civilians off their own steeds to join the pursuit.

As some swung their swords to strike, Ezio was going through his options at least five times in that moment. He'd be close to the Tiber soon, maybe then he could jump with Volpe into the river to escape the guards. Or maybe find some mercenaries to help him. When he had decided what to do, it was already too late.

A loud smack came to his ears as the horse fell forward from a guard's spear. Thrown forward, Ezio was quick to correct himself so he wouldn't land on his injured friend. His horse got up in a panic, and before anyone could grasp the reins, it rushed away from the fight. Ezio hadn't had the time to go after it, and stood his ground so he could lose the guards now.

Of course, five guards wasn't a problem, the extra fifteen he picked up in the chase could be one. He quickly signalled for his recruits before taking Volpe by the arm and hauling him to his feet so he could carry the man on his back. The sound of the fight rang in his ears as he rushed to his horse. However, still frightened it ran away once more and he had to chase it down. Another minute was wasted in that small matter, then he was moving again.

He could feel warm liquid seeping through his robes, and, again, he cursed to himself. If Volpe kept bleeding like this, then there was no chance. "Come on, stay with me."

No response came.

"Volpe?" Ezio jolstered his friend on his back, hoping to get a reaction, but none came. _I'm running out of time,_ he realized. Correction,_ La Volpe_ was running out of time.

Although he wanted to get to Tiber Island to see a doctor, Ezio came to terms with the fact that there was no way he could reach it in time. And so he settled with the closest one, which was settled at a stand around the corner. Right away, he approached.

"My friend was hurt, can you help him," Ezio asked.

The doctor, staring through his beaked mask, nodded. "_Si_, lay him down on the table and I'll have a look."

Carefully, he laid Volpe down, where he was able to see him now. Volpe's skin, though usually pale to begin with, was practically gray, and blood had completely stained his clothes. He had shut his eyes, and seemed like he was just sleeping. Ezio stood practically stiff before lightly nudging at him, hoping to rouse the older, but nothing at all.

Without hesitation, the doctor was going over everything; each wound, and searching for a sign of life in what seemed like a corpse. By now, Ezio had sunken to the ground in shock. His mind a torrent before coming to the after thought of they still weren't safe from the guards yet, he needed to be ready and not beating himself up.

Forcing himself not to shake, he turned from the stand and stood ready for the guards to come at them. It was all he could do. It seemed a challenge not to choke on his words, "Is he... is it too late?"

For a moment, he wasn't sure what the doctor's silence meant. Was he too focused on his work, or was he letting him figure it out on his own? Was it the answer in itself? When the doctor did speak, it was in that usual professional tone, "There's little I can do here. Your friend is in shock, and, obviously, you seem to be in a hurry as well. It would take a while to stabilize his condition and-."

"I don't care how long it takes," Ezio interrupted, "if there's anything at all you can do, then do it!" He didn't check to see if the doctor nodded. He just tried to keep his mind focused. _Volpe needs me to protect him. There's no questioning that. I CAN'T let him down._

His hand was held tight on the hilt of his sword, tight enough for his knuckles to turn white. His breathing came in slowed, forceful, deep breaths in his attempt to quell his panicked thoughts.

_What if I'm too late? Will he die?_ Ezio shook his head. Volpe couldn't die. This was the Master Thief he had known for many years. The man who aided him so long ago, and again a few years back. He couldn't die so easily, right?

Minutes turned to hours. But no guards came. None dared show their faces.

Finally the doctor spoke. It had gone from midday to late night. In the light of the lanterns hanging in the streets, Ezio could see the blood glisten on the doctor's gloves, and the flames cast a glow in the lens of his mask. "I think it's time you calm yourself down."

Ezio knitted his eyebrows, confused. "I am calm."

"No, you're not," the doctor said, shaking his beaked face, "the entire time you've been standing here, you look like you're ready to fly into a panic. Just take a moment to ease yourself."

Ignoring the advice, Ezio asked, "Will my friend be okay?"

The doctor looked down, "I've done all I can, _Messere_. The wounds were infected, and I've clean them out as best I can, but I will not close them until I'm certain that the infection is gone. But I cannot stay at my stand all night, and I need some more supplies to handle the rest."

"What do you propose then?" Ezio wondered.

"I'll write a report on your friend's condition and what I advise to treat it. If you can take him to another doctor, then he might be able to handle the rest."

To this, Ezio wanted to curse under his breath. He had busted his ass just to get La Volpe here in the first place. And now he needed to find another doctor? Maybe this time he could take his friend to the hideout. "Did you at least bandage the wounds?"

"Of course, he would have bled to death otherwise." The doctor answered. "You know, he's very lucky. Normally a man would have died by now. I don't know why he's still breathing."

Ezio looked down and mumbled to himself, "Sometimes I wonder that myself..."

"Be quick with taking your friend to a doctor, and don't forget to hand him this," the doctor held a folded parchment between his fingers and held it out to Ezio. He took it and placed it in one of his pouches. After that, he called his horse carefully slung Volpe over the saddle, and guided the animal as he walked along side it.

For a moment all was quiet, then a brief murmur from Volpe; "why is it so cold...?"

It was actually a warm late summer night. But Ezio still stopped for a moment and slipped the blanket out from underneath the horse's saddle, and wrapped the thick cloth over the thief before continuing on. After that, all was silent.

**Okay I know it took me a while to update this. And I'm sorry for that. But I was busy with other stories. I still am. I also have school work and all to take care of and my own original story I'm writing. So yeah. Thanks to the couple of people who cared to comment. I know the beginning was bad, I reread it an hour ago and kept shaking my head, but I hope to complete this story without anymore choppy chapters.**


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